Women Telling Stories: Embracing the Romantic Comedy
When I was young, I hated romantic comedies. I was staunchly opposed to watching anything that might be dubbed a ‘chick flick’. I was desperate to be taken seriously despite my womanhood, and I thought that pushing anything that may brand me as weak and feminine (because we are taught that these are synonyms) would protect me. I would be a more serious, respectable person because my favorite book was Slaughterhouse Five and my favorite film was Pulp Fiction. I am happy to say that I have changed my mind.
Photo: Clive Coote via Vogue UK
I do not want to be mistaken; I was a feminist, a believer in women’s rights, an advocate that anyone can be anything they want to be. I was simply a victim of everything that the media I consumed taught me about what a woman should be. It was internalized misogyny at its finest.
And the thing is, even rom-coms themselves backed up the thesis that women are better, more interesting, and worthier of male attention if they rejected traditional staples of femininity. Somewhere between the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the romantic comedy became self aware and adapted.
Photo: Paramount Pictures via Elle
Just think of Andie Anderson, Kate Hudson’s character in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; she isn’t needy, she’s into sports, she is career driven. Matthew McConaughey’s character describes her as the perfect woman before she begins to act parodically needy and emotional in order to drive him away. This movie, while targeted to a female audience, glorifies the cool girl who plays poker and knows how to hang with the guys while simultaneously shaming women who are more emotional or simply have more traditionally feminine interests.
This is the kind of girl that my generation grew up watching on screens and wanting to be. We all want Andie Anderson’s iconic yellow gown, Cher’s pretty little Chanel number from Clueless, Jenna Rink’s adorable striped dress and 2000s hairdo from 13 Going On 30. These iconic fashion moments were defining moments in our understanding of culture and fashion.
Photo: Paramount Pictures via Glamour
And yet, romantic comedies have never really been considered to be films in the way that more dramatic features are. They are simply movies, and the term ‘good romcom’ is considered by many to be an oxymoron.
The reasons for this are many and multifaceted. First of all, it is true that truly good romantic comedies are few and far between these days. Film studios are no longer producing big budget romcoms, and that means that the quality is significantly diminished. Romantic comedies are simply cast aside in a world that only cares about blockbuster franchises and remakes.
Photo: EVERETT COLLECTION via Teen Vogue
It is also true, however, that romcoms (and romance movies in general) tend to be regarded as less cinematically significant because of who their intended audiences are. With the obvious exception of rom-coms made by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) romantic comedies are often made by women and for women. Male critics simply don’t have the patience or wherewithal to truly appreciate what the genre has to offer.
Just think of any movie by Nora Ephron; Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and especially When Harry Met Sally. These movies, especially the latter, are genuinely good cinema. They are effortlessly funny, with high production value and plot that is in no way convoluted, a great wardrobe, and of course, a beautiful romance that you can’t help but root for. If you ask for my humble opinion, When Harry Met Sally is one of the best movies of all time.
Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
And yet, what are the reputations of these films? They are for women to watch while pathetically sobbing on a couch, desperately sad over some break up. It is simply unthinkable that this movie, with its relatively unserious subject matter, could possibly stand up to real films like Pulp Fiction, or The Godfather, or Fight Club. Except that when you get down to brass tacks, it absolutely does.
Movies like Clueless and The Devil Wears Prada embrace fashion and beauty, emphasizing it in a way that other movies may not (while not exactly a romcom, I would argue that this movie fits the genre well enough to be relevant). It is simply the facet of culture they choose to embrace, and doesn’t make them less worthwhile.
Photo: Paramount Pictures via Glamour
The last couple of years, I have slowly and systematically been unlearning my understanding of what a woman should be. I have been watching romantic movies and reading romantic novels. I have made every effort to be unashamed of my penchant for this genre, and for everything that it holds sacred. I believe that Jane Austen and Nora Ephron are as important to their respective fields as Ernest Hemingway and Quentin Tarantino.
I don’t think having emotions or liking clothes is anything to be ashamed of, and I don’t think that it means I should be taken less seriously. I will keep using Meg Ryan’s characters as inspiration for my fashion choices, and I will unashamedly proclaim my love for the romantic comedy genre.